Return Of The Nokia 3310

Nokia’s 3310 phone has been relaunched more than 15 years after its debut.

16:26 27 February 2017

Nokia’s 3310, which was officially phased out in 2005, has been relaunched at Mobile World Congress 2017 by Finnish start-up HMD Global.

 

Ben Wood from the technology consultancy CCS Insight, said: "The 3310 was the first mass-market mobile and there's a massive amount of nostalgia and affection for it,"

 

"If HMD had just announced three Android devices they would have barely got a couple of column inches in the press.

 

"So, the 3310 is a very clever move and we expect it will sell in significant volumes."

 

The new 3310 is categorised as a “feature phone” instead of a smartphone due to its limited internet facilities. It is powered by the S30+ operating system and relies on 2.5G connectivity. Its single camera is restricted to two megapixels.

 

Its main advantage over more powerful handset is its battery life. It has up to a month’s standby time and delivers more than 22 hours of talk time.

 

HMD's chief executive Arto Nummela said: "It's almost like a digital detox or a holiday phone,"

"If you want to switch off to an extent but you still need to have a [mobile] lifeline, it's a brilliant solution.

 

"Why wouldn't you buy this like candy? If you see this hanging on the shelf at the checkout in a [see-through] package, then you'd just buy it as an accessory."